To Commemorate Morocco’s Independence Day Moroccan-Pakistani Model and Filmmaker, Mariah Idrissi, Explores What It Means To Have Both African and Arab identity
“I’ve come across others who have felt the same”
Firstly, I’d like to address that I am of mixed ethnicity – Moroccan and Pakistani – but the focus for this article is around my North African roots which are from my father’s side. My intention behind writing this is to share a bit of my experience growing up in London, both proud of my culture but somewhat confused about how to racially identify myself.
Conversations around race and ethnicity are prevalent, especially online, and I feel there’s a lot of misinformation and miscommunication. To begin with, I think it’s important to establish the correct definitions of what race and ethnicity are. Race essentially revolves around shared, distinctive physical traits, whereas ethnicity is more complex. It’s rooted in your culture which consists of shared language, music, fashion and so on.
Culturally, Moroccans are a cocktail (or rather a mocktail) of different ethnicities that make us the unique bunch of people we are today. The indigenous people of Morocco are called the Amazigh and their language is Tamazight which alphabet has no resemblance to Arabic. Yet many Moroccans associate themselves with being ethnically Arab. The most spoken language is Darija and is a mix of Tamazight, Arabic, French and Spanish which, in itself, represents our diversity.
Our fashion is also a visual representation of this, from our bold blue gandoras to the tassels on our Fez hats. Moroccan fashion has had a great influence on the fashion industry and a lot of these trends originate from our indigenous Amazigh roots. Dynasties such as the Almoravid dynasty expanded into West Africa and these interactions also influenced Moroccan culture today. Although Morocco is a part of the MENA region, it was the only country in that region that was not colonised by the Ottoman Empire. (They did invade a few times, however, along with quite a few others).
Here’s where the Islamic Arab influence comes in. When the spread of Islam entered into Africa, so did Arab culture, traditions and, of course, people. Morocco and its surrounding areas were referred to as ‘The Maghreb’, which roughly means ‘The place of the setting sun’.
So, when people ask me, “Do you consider yourself African or Arab?” I say African and I’ll go on to tell you why. Firstly, Morocco is geographically located in the North West coast of Africa which I feel makes this logical for me to answer. However, with many coastal countries, you tend to find groups of people that are racially diverse due to trade, slavery and everything in-between, as accessibility is easier. Attracting both wanted and unwanted settlers, these historical events contribute to why Moroccans are so diverse in their appearance today. We are a mix of Arab, Amazigh, West African and Andalusian, making it difficult to categorise us into a single, homogenous racial group.
My full name is actually Lalla Mariah Idrissi and my family are originally from Fez. ‘Lalla’ is not typically used as a name as it’s an Amazigh title in Morocco but not a name I use here as people read it out as a Tellytubby. Names can tell you a lot about your family and background which intrigued me to learn more and even do an ancestry DNA test. I’m fully aware it’s not totally accurate but I grew curious to see what it would say. On my Moroccan side, it showed that I was 49 per cent North and West African. I thought I would have more Middle Eastern blood in me based on my surname but our family migrated further back than the tests go.
I’ve sometimes felt marginalised from the Arab world when I would say I’m Moroccan and I’ve come across others who have felt the same. I remember as a kid, an Arabic teacher said, “Mariah, you are not Arab, your language is not real Arabic,” when I got my numbers muddled up between Arabic and Darija. At the time, I thought this was a dig at me because I assumed my language to be an Arabic dialect but actually, she was right. The prominent similarities between Morocco and the Arab world culturally come from religion. These similarities are found across most of the Islamic world. However, there are distinct differences between the two which makes the country an incredibly interesting place.
We focus on barriers when in fact, we are intertwined with one another. How I identify to my Moroccan side as an African makes sense to me and my history of fortunate and unfortunate events reflects on who I am today. Knowledge brings you closer to the truth and whilst I’m a student in life, I have learnt and understood more about my history, culture, background and ultimately – me.
Fashion Image: Mazen Abusrour. Styling: Anna Castan